Three St. Mary’s County commissioners expressed concern Tuesday over a $54,000 deficit in Walden/Sierra non-profit social services group budget, which was caused by the required hiring of a new staff person last year to oversee the expenditure of $3 million in government grants.
Commissioners took county health director Dr. William Icenhower to task, asking him how the budget cut would impact vulnerable citizens.
“I disagree with what you are doing,” Commissioner Tom Mattingly (D, Leonardtown) bluntly told Icenhower. Mattingly added that there are a lot of other county programs that are not held to the same level of accountability.
“This makes sound business sense,” Icenhower told the commissioners. Diplomatically, he contended that every time a charity receives money, as much as 25 percent of it goes into staff salaries and related “necessary” costs.
For many years there was no oversight of state funding for drug and alcohol addiction treatment, and the commissioners agreed to finally take stock of the situation last year. They gave the go-ahead to Icenhower to hire a watchdog person.
Icenhower then hired Susan Bergmann to keep a tab how the monies are spent and whether the funds were equitably distributed. Bergman, who was hired for $74,000 per year, was present in the room and listened to the entire proceedings.
“These are two sides of a complicated issue,” said County Administrator John Savich. “We need some more discussions to get a better handle.”
He said he would hold a meeting with the health department to come up with a solution.
Raley, however, consoled Icenhower and frankly admitted it was the commissioners’ own fault when they decided to create the position.
“I am still an advocate of it,” said Dr. Kathleen O’Brien, executive director of the Walden/Sierra, who had welcomed Bergman’s hiring last year. But she said the position, instead of helping Walden/Sierra, left her with a bigger deficit.
“We have a deficit of $250,000 at [the Anchor drug treatment program],” she said. “We had to cut a substance abuse counseling position.”
The commissioner board’s two Republican commissioners, Kenny Dement (R, Piney Point) and Larry Jarboe (R, Golden Beach) did not partake in the discussions.
Later, Icenhower conceded there was a communication gap that led to the Walden/Sierra deficit.
Commissioner President Jack Russell (D. Great Mills), a close associate of O’Brien, expressed his dismay at the cut in state funding to Walden Sierra.
Tom Mattingly (D. Leonardtown) said that drug and alcohol addiction is a huge issue in the county, and that Bergman’s position diverts funding from the needy and creates another level of bureaucracy.
Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) backed some of what Mattingly advocated, but said he would, nevertheless, want oversight of the program.
“[The] Devil is in the details, as they say,” O’Brien observed after the proceeding.
